The Effect of Celebrity Endorser Selection on Consumer Purchase Intention Vol. 12, Issue 1

Abstract

While companies often use celebrity endorsement to increase their sales, they fail to realize that the selection of the endorser greatly influences consumer purchase intention. Consequently, they may end up using an endorser based solely on their popularity, with a poor match between the product/brand and the endorser. This study explores the factors of celebrity endorsement that significantly influence purchase intention. A sample of 560 survey respondents was used to collect data. Closed-ended questionnaires were distributed in person and online. SmartPLS was used for data analysis. The results indicate that product/brand and celebrity match plays a significant role in influencing all other variables of celebrity endorsement, namely the credibility of the endorser and meaning transfer, which then influences the consumer's intention to purchase the product. Therefore, marketers in Pakistan should focus on the three pillars of celebrity endorsement: the product/brand and celebrity match, credibility, and meaning transfer. Specifically, giving primary importance to the product/brand and celebrity match while designing an advertisement is crucial.